Rick Jackson's quotes, sayings

Take Ownership of Your Failures

I never saw myself as a victim. A lot of people blame everybody else when they fail. I don't blame anybody but myself, because I want control. I can't control anybody else - I can only control myself. When you take ownership of your failures, learn from them, and get up one more time than you fall down, that's my definition of success.

The Non-Degree Is Very Expensive

My non-degree is very expensive. In 1980, when I was 26 years old, I hired a PhD from Georgia State to teach me everything about business that an MBA or PhD would have taught me, for $2,000 a month. Because I was insecure about not having a degree, I developed an unending thirst for knowledge.

Always Ask Questions

I've studied everything. There's nobody who knows more about tax, marketing, accounting, and all these things, because I always ask questions. I never wanted to simply defer to a professional lawyer or anybody else - I wanted to know as much as I could.

I don't care about controlling anybody else, but I do believe in controlling myself.

Focus on Helping Others

You have to look at what people want and be more interested in them and helping them than you are in yourself. Once you do that, you unlock the power to help somebody else.

Know Why You Want Your Goal

I was coaching football in 1981, and one day it rained, so I put everybody in the room and asked, “What is your goal?” Everyone answered, “Win the national championship.” I asked, “Why do you want to do that?” and I got 22 different reasons. One wanted a girlfriend, another wanted friends, and so on. The next day, one of the guys wasn't blocking right, so I told him, “Bob, you'll never get a girlfriend if you don't block better than that.”

What They Don't Teach You at Harvard

There's a book called "What They Don't Teach You at Harvard". It was written by a Harvard graduate who started IMG, the management group representing people like Jack Nicklaus. What they don't teach you at Harvard is how to deal with people.

God Prepared Me for What I'm About to Do

When I went into a foster home, I was always by myself at home. But when I went into a foster home, there were five kids, and it was the loudest room in the world. Then they sat down, got quiet, held hands, and said a prayer. I thought, “That's what I want when I grow up.” I've always maintained that, and I believe God has prepared me for what I'm about to do now.

It's not my money, it's God's money.

Help Others Get What They Want

You can have everything in the world you want if you help other people get what they want.